How do I determine if a sale is eligible for eBay-provided return labels?

[amesrg]

I got scammed by someone who purchased a camera lens and wanted to return it.  I tried to purchase the return label through eBay but was not able to do so.  I called eBay and they said they don't know why the sale was not eligible for an eBay-provided return label.    This was a US buyer in Florida and I had no issues purchasing the initial label through eBay.

So I purchased a return label directly from UPS but the buyer claims it does not work.  Of course, it does: you can enter the tracking number on the UPS website and it says "awaiting shipment".  The issue is that eBay says it's up to him to determine if the label works or not.  If he says the label doesn't work then he keeps the lens and gets a full refund.

Obviously, this is a scam.  Well, it's obvious now...

So, how do I know if a sale is eligible for purchasing a return label through eBay so I can prevent this from happening again?

Furthermore, how do I refuse those kinds of transactions?  I can't find anything that seems remotely close to that option.

Thanks

[stainlessenginecovers]

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@amesrg wrote:

The answer to these questions are elsewhere in this thread.

How do I know when the transaction is not eligible for an eBay-provided label?

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@amesrg yes; I have am trying to help but have better things to do than read every post you may have posted. So, since you don't want to answer the questions, you don't really want an answer. 

Bottom line; if the return was a US buyer going to a US Address and the Buyer opened a Not As Described, whether you have a 'return allowed' or 'no returns' you should have NOT purchased a shipping label; especially though UPS as Ebay is set up so that ALL RETURN LABELS go through USPS and NOT UPS as that is NOT the system. 

The answer is: there is NO SCENARIO where a buyer in the US opens a Not As Described and does NOT get an already provided shipping label. 

[r_lresale]

@amesrg how long after buyer opened a return did you try to purchase a label? 

Again if you didn't ACCEPT the return within 3 days and respond by either refunding or providing a label (actually put in the return tracking number into the case itself, not just a picture) then the buyer asks ebay to step in and you loose the money and the item. I bet if you actually open the details link under the return request it will show step by step and dates of each step taken and can probably figure out what went wrong.

[amesrg]

I don't recall the exact timing but I started the return within a day.  Definitely not anywhere close to three days.

I understand the issue you're describing - that's not what's going on.  This is not an issue of taking too long to reply.  I provided the return label well within the eBay response time requirements.  eBay does not dispute that fact, nor does the buyer.  That's not the issue.

[femmefan1946]

so that it's not eligible for an eBay-provided return label.

Geez louise.

Do you want the lens back and do you want to win the dispute?

To heck with who supplies the label.

Pay for the darn thing. Send it as a pdf.

Put the number in the dispute.

If they don't use it, and the lens is not returned, you do not refund and the cost of the label is refunded eventually.

It's not the principle of the thing-- it's the MONEY!

[itscalledapostingid]

Regardless of what the buyer says ebay will be able to see you provided a legit label assuming you entered it into the return case properly (and it sounds like you did.)

If the buyer is refunded without returning your item then appeal the decision.

[amesrg]

Yeah but eBay relies 100% on the buyer to determine if the label is legit.  All the info is entered into the return details - I asked them to pull up the tracking number to confirm it's legit and they said they don't do that.

Again, if the buyer says the label is invalid, eBay accepts that statement as truth.  They *refuse* to evaluate any information from anyone other than the buyer.  (EDIT: for labels that are *not* purchased through eBay)

And the buyer knows that.  That's part of his scam.

[asset_liquidators]

Wrong. I don't accept returns either. However, if I need to send a return label I have ALWAYS been able to send an ebay generated return label so the "no returns" has nothing to do with it.

[amesrg]

Which takes me back to the question I asked at the start of this thread:

How do I know when a transaction is not eligible for an eBay-provided return label?

I guess I'm sharing some hard-learned lessons to people in this thread, and that's fine, but I'd really like to know how to prevent this in the future...

[itscalledapostingid]

So they already refunded the buyer with your money?

Sellers upload their own labels to return cases all the time and I've never heard of this issue causing a seller to be forced to refund if the buyer refuses to use the label.

[amesrg]

No - they say I need to resolve it with the buyer in four days or they refund him and let him keep the lens.

If the buyer says the label doesn't work for four more days then that's what's going to happen.  That's exactly what's stated in the message I got from eBay.  I think I posted the entire message somewhere earlier in the thread.

eBay doesn't believe anybody other than the buyer for non-eBay labels.  That's directly from them.

So what else can I do?

[itscalledapostingid]

I don't know what ebay support channel gave you that message but it doesn't sound right. Sellers upload their own labels for returns all the time especially for high-value items.

If you have 4 days I would contact Ebay support by a private message to "eBayForBusiness" facebook page or AskeBay at twitter.

[r_lresale]

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@amesrg wrote:

I don't recall the exact timing but I started the return within a day.  Definitely not anywhere close to three days.

I understand the issue you're describing - that's not what's going on.  This is not an issue of taking too long to reply.  I provided the return label well within the eBay response time requirements.  eBay does not dispute that fact, nor does the buyer.  That's not the issue.

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@amesrg you did not in fact upload that tracking number officially into the case. As shown in your screenshot buyer opened request May 7 and no response on your end for eight days so buyer escalated to a case because you didn't provide proof that that label WAS valid. I can take pictures of a created label all day long and send a pic and then cancel label or could have taken a picture of a used label, etc. and it means nothing. Other users have told you and sent the link with instructions on uploading a return label you bought on your own to the request. Procedure is to upload pic, choose carrier associated with the label, and upload that tracking number to the request itself so it is recorded in the details. You had until May 10 to do this showing you responded to the request. On May 11 buyer had every right to escalate to a case and ask ebay to help. Not responding officially you basically told ebay you had no interest in helping the buyer or wanting your item back so ebay believed you and will issue the refund and will not require the item back. You also got a defect on your account for not responding. 

As a new seller you need to familiarize yourself with procedures and buyer protections to protect your own interests as otherwise you won't be selling very long. 

The answer to your question "How do I know when a transaction is not eligible for an eBay-provided return label?" has been answered many times...every sale is eligible UNLESS you don't respond or follow procedure. No scam here at all you just need to understand policy and procedure before listing anything else. 

[amesrg]

Nobody I'm dealing with is denying that the tracking info was provided per the requirements set forth by eBay.  Not eBay, not the buyer and certainly not me.

I don't know where it shows up but it's there.

EDIT: as stated multiple times above, the buyer's claim is that the tracking number provided is not valid.  Neither he nor eBay claimed that it was not provided.

[ajs_coins_and_alchemy]

@amesrg 

You've dealt with EBay CSR (customer service reps) who don't know what they are talking about. I'm not sure why you keep saying 'EBay hasn't claimed this or that', because who are you talking to that knows what they are doing?

EBay cases are automated. As has been stated, entering the tracking number into the case is important. That is discussed a million times over on this forum. Always enter the tracking number into the cases. Cases are automated, they are done by computers, unless EBay started to use AI, the computer can't think for itself... 

Why couldn't you purchase a label through eBay? People have hypothesized whether or not it's due to the high value (Over $750) and issue of no signature. That is possible. Maybe this exceeds the limits of a USPS "return label". I believe they return labels generated are those specific USPS Return Service labels, but i'm not 100% sure, I've only experienced a couple returns but always with outside labels.

A couple people asked about buyer location. That conversation died off quickly. No one cares WHERE you shipped to (other than possible freight forwarder). The question is what is the registered address of the buyer? Not the shipping address. If you go to the buyer's page (feedback, listings, etc.) You can click "About" (On a computer, it's the 3 tabs of Shop, About & Feedback) ... this tab shows the "Location" of the buyer and the age of the account. When I look yours up it says "Location, United States... Member Since Aug 2004"). The question has been asked whether the buyer is a US Buyer. Again, noone cares if you shipped to Florida or not. They wanted to know where the buyer's account is registered, because even if you shipped to Florida, if the buyer is registered in another country, the label will likely be required to be to/from the other country. That would be ineligible for an EBay label

I recently had an interaction with a Chinese seller. I bought from this Chinese seller. They have their items located in California. The item listing said California. They shipped it from California. When I went to return the item, it was INELIGIBLE for an EBay label, because the return was set up to go to China, because that's the seller's registered address. They had to give me an external label to their California site for the return

So...there is an example for why transactions may be ineligible for eBay labels. The seller (shipping to/from California) was registered in China and that was their official return address, and thus EBay USPS label didn't work for that scenario. That is why the question of WHERE is the buyer located mattered so much. People stopped asking about buyer's registered location and about freight forwarder, because they figured that may be easier to get an answer out of you? I dont know.

Unless there is a third or fourth or fifth reason hypothesized, the reasons I can think of are 1) Value & 2) Foreign located buyer.

Doesn't always have to be a commercial freight forwarder. Could be a friend or family member in Florida. I shipped coins to Texas for a Mexico based buyer. Guys account is based in mexico, shipping address was Texas, I bet you $100 if he wanted to return them, I wouldn't be able to get an eBay label for the return label because he was located in Mexico. Again, EBay isn't going to base the return on where it was shipped to, they are going to base it on the official address of the account. I have 5 or 6 different "Ship-To" addresses on my EBay account for buying (Home, Grandma's, Parent's, PO Box, Friend's, Other Family...). I RARELY ship to my own house, but that is my official address on the account and where a return label would be generated for if I set up a return. Ebay would put my official address (my house) on the return label, not the location I shipped to for the order.

This answer was lengthy, I know. Hopefully I have either answered your question, or brought you some knowledge and got you closer to the answer... because I got tired of having to read you repeat your question 35,000 times. LOL

[amesrg]

"The question is what is the registered address of the buyer?"

United States.